Improvement in pencil-sharpeners



Unrrnn STATES PATENT @Errea HENRY L. DE ZENG, OF GENEVA, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN PENCIL-SHARPENERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 123,462, dated February 6, 1872.

SPECIFICATION. To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, HENRY L. DE ZENG, of Geneva, in the county of Ontario in the State of N ew York, have invented a new Slate-Pencil Sharpener; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact `description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyin g dra-wing, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

A, Figures l and 2, represents a rectangular wooden block, ot proper size, grooved length wise in one side. rlhis groove extends nearly halt' through the block, and is out near the bottoni with the sides parallel; but near the surface they diverge, for a purpose hereafter described. B and (l, Figs. .5, 4, and 5, represent two narrow plates ot steel or iron, serrated across oue side, and notched at each end to receive a small nail. The plate C exceeds plate B in Width (by once its thickness\ that both niay be equal in width when in their proper posit-ions, as shown in Fig. 7. Figs. 6 and 7 represent all the parts combined, as follows: The plates B and O are placed upon the diverging sides s s ot' the groove in the block A, the plate C pa-ssing under the edge of the plate B, but not in contact with it, (as a slot or opening, t, is left the entire length of the plates,) and in which position they are secured by the nails a in the notches e at the ends of the plates.

It is now evident that if the end of a slatepencil is rubbed back and forth in the angle formed by the plates B and O, and turned during the movement, a fine point will be formed, (the plate O passing under the edge of B for that purpose,) the slot or opening t allowing the dust to fall into the groove or pit w. (See Fig. 7.) Y

I am aware that two tiles standing at a angle to each other have been employed for sharpening slate-pencils; but Where the files come close together at one edge there is not a-ny space left for the dust, and when the tiles are slightly separated at their lower edge the pencil cannot be sharpened to a ine point. By placing the surface of one le below and slightly beneath the edge of the other the necessary opening is provided and the. pencil can be properly pointed.

I claim as my inyentioni The pencil-sharpener, made of the le-plate O passing slightly beneath the edge of the leplate B, but leaving an opening, t, above the receptaele w for dust, as and for the purposes specified.

Witnesses:

S. H. SILL, THOMAS MGBLAIN.

HENRY L. DE ZENG. 

